Free Articles about prominent families from the Dartford area on the North West Kent Family History Society Website. Guild of One Name Studies Seminar: Army Records Ash Victoria Hall, 121 Ash Hill Road, Ash, Surrey, GU12 5DN 18th February 2012

Free Articles about prominent families from the Dartford area on the North West Kent Family History Society Website.

There are a series of articles available about prominent families from the Dartford area on the NWKFHS website that are free to read. They have been written by NWKFHS member Philip Taylor, who has kindly provided them for the website

'Frederick Alexander Preston Pigou (1838-1905) : Gunpowder maker and controversial landholder in Dartford'. (PDF file)

'Richard Sanham (1815-95): Dartford Builder and Local Politician'. (PDF file)

 'Larking John Seager (1840 – 1905) : Engineer and entrepeneur'. (PDF file)

James Sharp (1808-83) and his Children, a Prominent Family in Victorian Dartford'. (PDF file)
'Thomas Edward Tiffin (1868-1952): Architect of Dartford Library'. (PDF file)

'Samuel Charles Umfreville JP (1820-94) of Ingress Abbey and his Fight with the Cement Makers'. (PDF file)

They can be found on the NWKFHS at On-Line Articles

Guild of One Name Studies Seminar: Army Records Ash Victoria Hall, 121 Ash Hill Road, Ash, Surrey, GU12 5DN Saturday 18th February 2012.

The Guild of One Name Studies is holding a Seminar that should interest all who had ancestors and family who served in the British Army.

"We have secured an excellent team of specialists for this seminar, which will be covering many aspects of the Army records. We lead off with Iain Swinnerton who will be explaining how the British Army was organised up to how it is today. Simon Fowler will then give us some sources for more information in the archives. Then, following an included buffet lunch, Roy Hemington of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission explains their work plus gives us a deeper look at their archives. We complete the seminar with Peter Bailey and his marvellous knowledge of the Army in British India."

Cost for the Seminar is £15 per person. Further details can be found at Event Calendar You can also book by e-mailing Seminar Booking

Remembering the First World War-Heritage Lottery Fund. The Identity & Passport Service has warned: don't pay too much for your replacement birth certificates. New North West Kent Family History Society CD Publications-Bromley, Kent.

Remembering the First World War.

2014 sees the start of a series of centenaries marking the First World War. Such events will commemorate the Battle of the Somme, the Gallipoli campaign, the changing role of women, the Armistice and the dedication of the first war memorials.

The Heritage Lottery Fund is offering to provide funds to help mark these important anniversaries by exploring the history and legacy of the war and helping people understand how it impacted on communities across the UK, especially their own. Working along with Imperial War Museums (IWM), who are leading the UK’s cultural commemorative programme for the centenaries, HLF applicants can access IWM expertise and resources by joining the centenary partnership. The fund is to also help communities mark the event.

The First World War was a major conflict that not only impacted on our ancestors and families life, that is still felt to this day. It was to lead to major changes in Society, Culture and politics.

Details can be found at Heritage Lottery Fund   The HLF also has a downloadable booklet at HLF Booklet which gives further details and how to apply.

The Identity & Passport Service has warned: don't pay too much for your replacement birth certificates.

The above warning comes via the Federation of Family History Societies. This applies equally to other certificates. When using commercial websites to find an index entry for a birth, marriage or death registration it is tempting to click on a placed link on the site to order a certificate.  However, it can be much  costly to do this rather than going to the official website at The General Register Office

New North West Kent Family History Society CD Publications-Bromley, Kent.

The Cd's are from the LB of Bromley Archives holdings. They contain facsimiles of parish registers of Beckenham, Bromley, Bromley Common, Chelsfield, Chislehurst, Farnborough, Keston and Penge. They contain all the material for these Parishes that is in a fit condition to be handled.

Further details can be found at Publication News more details and how to order can be found at Current Society Projects 

The General Register Office has announced it is considering options for digitising and indexing civil registration birth, marriage and death records back to 1837. Music Halls, Graces Alley, London E1 8JB - Wilton's the oldest surving Music Hall.

The General Register Office has announced it is considering options for digitising and indexing civil registration birth, marriage and death records back to 1837. .

In addition the way births and deaths are registered and giving notice to marry is being modernised. Registration Online (RON)  has  been extended to cover birth, death, stillbirth and marriage registration together with the legal preliminaries to marriage and civil partnership.

The registrars general for England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland have extended the opportunity for existing customers to obtain death data for England and Wales dating back to January 2007.

GRO is also currently reviewing its options for digitising all birth, death and marriage records dating back to 1837.The digitisation and indexing project to scan and digitise civil registration records for England and Wales from 1837 to present and create a new online index of events has been halted since September 2010.

Some 50% of the birth, death, adoption and marriage records have already been digitised. a decision is to be taken for financial year 2011/12 about the future plans for the digitisation of its remaining records. More details can be found at Modernising Civil Registration 

 

Questions are already being asked that if Digitisation is started again and completed what impact this could have on the indexes on FreeBMD, FindmyPast, Ancestry, The Genealogist and FamilyRelatives.

 

Music Halls, Graces Alley, London E1 8JB  - Wilton's the oldest surviving Music Hall.

 

Music Hall's were a part of many of our ancestors lives. If you are interested in the social life of  your ancestors, or if they worked in Music Halls then this site is worth looking at.  Wilton's is the oldest surviving Grand Music Hall in the world. One of the the first generation public house music halls in London during the 1850s. Now owned by the Wilton's Music Hall Trust and run by a small team of people, it produces imaginative, distinctive work that combines all art forms and spotlights new talent. They are also raising funds to renovate the Music Hall.

 

They run guided tours where you can  "Discover Wilton's unique and colourful history. Hear how a Victorian sailors' pub became a famous music hall, how it was transformed into a Methodist Mission, survived the London Blitz, was forgotten for decades and reopened as the exciting theatre venue it is today. These tours have been devised by Wilton's historian and archivist and last approximately one hour".

 

More information can be found at Wilton's Music Hall  information about the tours can be found at Guided Tours

 

Apprentice Indentures-downloadable free from The National Archives site. National Archives Podcasts.

Apprentice Indentures-down loadable free from The National Archives site.

The register of duties paid for Apprentice Indentures between 1710-1811 can be searched on a pay per view site. The Society of Genealogists also have a database that can be searched by members or on a pay per view site.

What is not widely known is that the same records can be freely accessed at the TNA site. You can download the records at Ledger Duties Paid on Indentures

You will have to search through the records yourself, but they are free. Warning the down loadable file is a PDF about 39.9mb in size.

National Archives Podcasts.

Another invaluable and free resource available on at TNA website are podcasts. They can help you in many ways including how to research the many resources at the Archives.

They range from: English burial and cemetery records online and on film. The untold story of women in the Crimean War.  The Land Tax 1692-1963. Nineteenth century soldiers: getting the most from online resources. Suing and being sued - finding people in legal disputes and many many more.

The podcasts can be found at National Archives Podcasts

National Archives-Family History: Nursing Service Records, First World War-Free search and download. Scadbury House, Chislehurst and Survey House, St Mary Cray. Invitation to a Vestry Meeting a talk by Jean Stirk, at Farningham Kent, 25 November 2011. Bexley Historical Society-60th Anniversary

National Archives-Family History: Nursing Service Records, First World War-Free search and download.

The National Archives is providing a free search and download of 15,000 First World War nursing service records online, a look into the life stories of the women who dedicated their lives to their profession. The records date from 1902 to 1922 and hold an unusually high level of detail, rarely seen in service records. You can search at Nursing Service Records

Archaeological Societies can be a great help in researching your family history, the area they lived in and the events happening around them. They also published information that can assist in putting together different aspects your family's history.

Orpington and District Archaeological Society (ODAS) is an active local archaeology group based in Orpington, Kent with a field headquarters at Scadbury Manor, Chislehurst.

November 2nd a talk by Steve Waters Survey of Ancient Trees at Scadbury .

Scadbury Manor a medieval moated manor house in Chislehurst, Kent currently being excavated by the Orpington and District Archaeological Society (ODAS). It is situated in Scadbury Park Local Nature Reserve in the London Borough of Bromley. Events

There are also details of the excavations of Survey House, a Medieval House in St Mary Cray, Kent which is still standing. The aim of both excavations is not only to excavate and determine the structure of the houses but to also find objects that will an insight to the lives of the people of the area. Scadbury House  and Survey House

The meetings open to the public: no charge is made for admission (space is limited, however, and where necessary priority is given to members).

Invitation to a Vestry Meeting a talk by Jean Stirk, at Farningham Kent, 25 November 2011.

Friday, 25 November 2011 at 19:30 (7:30pm) Invitation to a Vestry Meeting a talk by Jean Stirk, a re-creation of a typical Vestry meeting held by the Farningham  &  Eynsford Local History Society at the Farningham Village Hall.

Bexley Historical Society-60th Anniversary 12 December 2011.

 'History of Playing Cards' a talk by Alan Payne as part of the 60th anniversary of the Society. 8pm on Monday 12 December 2011 at Bexley Historical Society, The Huxtable Hall, St Martins Church, Erith Road. Barnehurst, Kent. DA7 6LE

Playing Cards were popular or very unpopular, depending on the belief or views of our ancestors so this would be a good opportunity to find out about their history.  

Branches of the North West Kent Family History Society regularly hold talks given by experts in their fields. They are open to Members (Free) and to visitors on a donation basis. Details of November meetings. Canadian Censuses and Kent Ancestors- Free1891 census name seach and free download of original images. 1871 and 1881 Canadian Census-free search and images. 1901 and 1911 Canadian Censuses.

Branches of the North West Kent Family History Society regularly hold  talks given by experts in their fields. They are open to Members (Free) and to visitors on a donation basis. Please check the website for further details, especially before travelling to a meeting in case of any changes.  NWKFHS Society Meetings.
The talks for November are:

5 Nov 2011 at the Dartford Branch,  Dartford Technology College, Heath Lane, Dartford, Kent. Gordon Bentley The History of Pub Signs.   Open 9.45am with the meeting proper starting at 10.30am.

10 Nov 2011 at the Sevenoaks Branch,  Sevenoaks Community Centre, Otford Road (at junction with Crampton Rd.), Sevenoaks, at 7.15pm Richard Filmer Kentish Trades, Crafts & Industries.

19 Nov 2011 at the Bromley Branch, Main hall, Bromley Methodist Church, College Road, Bromley BR1 3NS. Audrey Collins Using the National Archives for Family History research.  The hall opens at 9.45am, the meeting proper is due to start at 10.30am.

Canadian Censuses and Kent Ancestors.

Many of our Ancestry and their families had strong connections with Canada, Some moved there permanently or for a period of time. Some pay per view sites have indexed the Canadian censuses but there are other possibilities that might save you money.

1891 Canadian Census.

1891 Canada census can be searched by name at Libraries and Archives Canada 1891 census. This will give you a list of the possible names. Clicking on the name you are looking for will give you the option of downloading the original census page free of charge.

1881 Canadian Census.

 You can also search the Libraries and Archives Canada site for the 1881 census by name and obtain images of the original census free to download. Libraries and Archives Canada 1881 census.

1871 Canadian Census.

The 1871 Canadian census can be searched by name and original images obtained at Libraries and Archives Canada 1871.

The 1901 and 1911 Canadian Censuses.

Though not searchable by family name you can search by location images of the original census. If you know the Province and district they lived in you can, with some patience search the district. 1901 Census and 1911 Census

You can also try 1901 Census of Canada Indexing Project where an index is being created for every name enumerated in the 1901 Census of Canada along with the personal data transcribed, links to images of the original census pages. There are also  links to other records for individuals including: census records from other years, birth, marriage, death, and other records.

It is work in progress, the names have been Indexed and transcribed and are at the stage of being checked. You can check on progress at Proofreading

The Libraries and Archives Canada site is worthwhile looking at to see what other information is available to help in your search for your ancestors and families.

Who's Who of Victorian Cinema. Dictonary of Victorian London. Victorian & Edwardian Photographs. C J Farlies photographers, Woolwich.1800-1845 Costume Fashion History- Regency to Romantic. New Family History TV series.

Who's Who of Victorian Cinema.

Cinema arrived in 1895 by the end of 1896 it had spread worldwide. By 1900 it  firmly established fortunes for some and reputations were made by many. It was also to have a profound impact on our ancestors lives, an impact that continues to this day..

This website is a biographical guide to the world of Victorian film. There are some 300 biographies involved with motion pictures. There are also photographs of early film cameras and projectors. If you are interested in the cinema and how it impacted on our ancestors it is a site worthwhile looking at. Who's Who of Victorian Cinema

Dictionary of Victorian London.

If you have not found this site yet it is one that you should explore.It has information on about every aspect of Victorian life from fashion and clothes, advertising, food, finance, professions, transport, housing, education and weather. It is almost a case of you name it is there.

There are many original adverts of the day and photographs Cartes de Viste, Dageurreotyype  The Victorian Dictionary

Victorian and Edwardian Photographs.

At Victorian & Edwardian Photographs from The Roger Vaughan Collection and Visitors Photographs.  This site can aid you in dating photographs and there is an alphabetical list of photographers throughout the country.

An example of what can be found for the former Kent Boroughs, now in London can be found at The Photographic Studio of C.J.Farlie and his Family which was located at Wellington Street, Woolwich.

If you are interested in what your Regency ancestors may have wore then 1800-1845 Costume Fashion History- Regency to Romantic will give you a lot of information.

New Family History TV series.

Find My Past has launched a new 10-part TV series starting on 20 October 2011 at 9pm on the Yesterday channel: Freeview channel 12, Sky 537, Virgin Media 203. Chris Hollins of BBC Breakfast, Watchdog and winner of Strictly Come Dancing 2009 presents the show.

Each week three members of the public are helped to discover how they are related to someone from a significant historical event. Three of the episodes focus on significant events in WWII: Dunkirk, Battle of Britain and D-Day. An online collection of photos to honour our heroes is being built and you can share photos of your ancestors who were connected in any way to Dunkirk, Battle of Britain and D-Day  This feature will be available very soon on the Find My Past  Facebook page.